1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems for aerating of compost and draining of excess liquid which may be contained therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous innovations for draining liquids in various installations have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, accordingly they differ from the present invention.
A FIRST EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,714,786 to Evans et al. teaches an open slot culvert for positioning in a drainage area with the open slot at the top so that any surface drainage water will flow through the slot and directly into the culvert, including a method and apparatus for its manufacture. The improved open slot culvert comprises a metallic, pipe section, split longitudinally along its upper side to form a narrow slot, and grate means, including two spaced, vertical bearing members joined by spacer means, secured in the slot. The method of making the improved open slot culvert includes the steps of providing two elongated, parallel, vertical members in spaced relation having a plurality of spacer means therebetween, longitudinally splitting the upper side of a metallic pipe section to form a narrow slot, and properly positioning the grate means within the narrow slot. The apparatus for making the improved open slot culvert generally comprises an entry pipe station, a pipe clamp, saw and tack welding station, and a finish welding and exit station.
A SECOND EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,898,778 to Erickson et al. teaches an improved method for cast-in-place construction of a concrete drainage conduit immediately below an integral concrete floor surface, including floor surface, including a longitudinal slot for discharge of surface fluids into said conduit. A water-inflated, fabric-reinforced plastic tubular form and longitudinal slot-forming inserts, used during the concrete pouring operations, are later retrieved at one end of the conduit for reuse following deflation of the tubular form. Conduits of non-circular cross section may be formed if desired. This improved method is useful for construction of drainage facilities for flushable slotted floors for cattle confinement feedlots and for other paved surface such as auto parking areas, roadway and airports.
A THIRD EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,078 to Richardson teaches in order in a floor drainage trough installation substantially to prevent gaps between the upper edge portions of the side walls of the floor drainage trough and the body of concrete in which the trough is set, such gaps resulting from shrinkage of the concrete as the body of concrete is cured, strips of woven glass fiber material are provided in the upper edge portions of the side walls of the trough during the molding thereof, with closely spaced loops of the glass fiber material of which the strips are formed being coated with the plastics material of which the trough is formed during the molding of the trough and outwardly projecting under the influence of the inherent resiliency thereof by removing the trough from the mold prior to the plastics material becoming fully set. The loops are securely embedded in the body of concrete, so that during the curing of the body of concrete the shrinkage thereof causes slight splaying apart of the upper edge portions of the side walls of the trough, thereby preventing formation of the above-mentioned gaps.
A FOURTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,727 to Capuano teaches a one-piece slotted conduit having a thin inner body section and an encompassing frame structure. The encompassing frame structure having specially designed recesses formed in it to ensure maximum conduit strength and an economic use of material. The slotted conduit also including male/female interconnecting ends which ensure easy and accurate alignment of a plurality of conduits in an interconnected system.
A FIFTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,410 to Blume teaches this invention relates to the draining of foundations by using an elongate subterranean drainage structure located approximately horizontally and parallel to the foundation in combination with a plurality of elongate upwardly extending hollow drain structures extending from the structure toward the surface of the earth. Hydrostatic pressure of water in the soil forces water through holes in the upwardly extending drain structures. The water then passes rapidly to the bottom of the upwardly extending drain structures by the force of gravity and thereupon into the horizontal drain structure wherein it is carried away from the foundation.
AN OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a system component, a system, and a method which facilitates both the aerating of compost and the draining of excess liquid which may be contained therein that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.
ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a system component and a system which facilitates both the aerating of compost and the draining of excess liquid which may be contained therein that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
STILL ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a system component, a system, and a method which facilitates both the aerating of compost and the draining of excess liquid which may be contained therein that is simple to use and easily implemented.
BRIEFLY STATED, STILL YET ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a system component which facilitates both the aerating of compost and the draining of excess liquid which may be contained therein, which is a specially formed component having an extruded longitudinal projection with a surface in which holes may be formed therein after embedding, in a concrete floor, with the surface and holes substantially level in the concrete floor so that fluids may readily either enter or exit through the holes in the component. When connected to an appropriate collection of peripheral supporting equipment, accordingly a set of such components can be utilized to create an efficient composting facility which permits fluids, typically air, to be easily, forced into or extracted from compost, residing thereon and excess effluent, typically liquid, contained within the composting material to easily drain therefrom. A composting slab formed utilizing a set of such components has the additional advantages of being substantially flat without any spigots, spouts, sprayheads, valves or other projections extending therefrom, which otherwise could be accidentally broken off, caught on machinery and people, and be responsible for a host of inadvertent associated accidents.